With internet shopping UK figures showing a dramatic recovery from the dotcom crash of 2000 and about 90% of consumers planning to shop at Christmas , it is important for shoppers to know their rights when buying online.

It is vital to remember that when you are buying online, you have the same rights as when you are buying in a corner shop.

Here are some of the sites where you can get legal advice and protection when a purchase goes wrong.

Trading Standards Consumer Complaints www.consumercomplaints.org.uk

This is a site where you can make a complaint about a company or request advice.

Office of Fair Trading www.oft.gov.uk/consumer

This site gives lots of general advice on consumer rights in the UK and tips on how to complain.

Trading Standards www.tradingstandards.gov.uk

An important site for UK shoppers. Here there is a database of consumer guides. The site also contains links to the Advertising Standards Authority and the Direct Marketing Association.

Advice Guide from Citizens' Advice www.adviceguide.org.uk

A site with many informative factsheets on all kinds of consumer topics.

Consumer Direct www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

This is a site from the Department of Trade and Industry which has excellent factsheets on various topics including internet security and online scams.

Which Online www.which.net

This is a subscription site with a mass of consumer information and the latest news on credit card fraud and general internet security.

Shopping online is normally a pleasant experience. However, if things do go wrong it is important to know your rights when you are contacting companies as they tend to respect consumers who demonstrate that they know the law straight away.

(C) John Lynch